FEMA flood zone rules in Fontana, CA — also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules — determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Fontana participates in the National Flood Insurance Program using FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Areas near San Sevaine and Etiwanda Creek channels fall within Zone A and Zone AE.
Fontana enforces floodplain management through FMC Title 15 consistent with federal NFIP requirements and California Government Code Section 65302. FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for San Bernardino County identify Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) inside Fontana, primarily along the San Sevaine Creek, Etiwanda Creek, and other tributaries that drain the San Gabriel Mountains into the Santa Ana River watershed. Zone A and Zone AE designations indicate the 1 percent annual chance (100-year) flood. Development in SFHAs requires a floodplain development permit from Fontana Building and Safety demonstrating that lowest floor elevations meet base flood elevation plus freeboard (typically 1 foot), use flood-resistant materials below base flood elevation, and do not increase flood risk to neighboring parcels. Structures substantially damaged or improved (cost exceeding 50 percent of market value) must be brought into full floodplain compliance. The San Bernardino County Flood Control District operates major channels, levees, and debris basins that reduce but do not eliminate flood risk. Mortgage lenders require NFIP flood insurance for federally backed loans in SFHAs. Residents can check their flood zone at FEMA Map Service Center using the Fontana parcel address.
Unpermitted development in a SFHA can trigger stop-work, removal, and loss of NFIP community good-standing. Individual owners may lose NFIP insurance eligibility. FMC Title 15 violations carry administrative fines.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in San Bernardino County.
See how other cities in San Bernardino County handle flood zones.
See how Fontana's flood zones rules stack up against other locations.
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